Mendocino Co. supervisors deny appeals, allow music festival

Rejecting two appeals, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors Tuesday voted to allow a music festival to be held just days before another popular event along the Eel River.

"I have a hard time thinking this is the kind of tourism we want to promote in this county, and I wonder if we as supervisors are really being responsible," said chairman Dan Hamburg, describing the Northern Nights Music Festival as a "blowout of alcohol and drugs. I know this makes me sound like a fuddy duddy, but there's something about us welcoming in a Rave that scares me."

Last summer, an event called the Late Night Dance Hall Dome After Party was held in the same venue, the Cooks Valley Campground just north of Piercy. Patrick Dowd, who lives 1,200 feet south of the campground, said last year's event violated its permit by playing music after 2 a.m. and asked the supervisors to not grant a permit for the festival this year.

"Are we really so dependent on money from these events that we're going to trample on people's rights?" Dowd asked the board, adding that he was unable to just leave the area to escape the 72-hour, "entirely unpleasant event" full of nonstop noise because he had dogs, horses and chickens to care for.

The Mateel Community Center, which is just north of the campground in Humboldt County and will host its annual Reggae on the River festival beginning Aug. 1, also filed an appeal against the other festival's permit.

Justin Crellin told the board that because of the potential noise, traffic, water and public safety impacts the festival will create, an Environmental Impact Report should have been required, as it was when Reggae on the River began.

"I humbly request that you honor the guidelines of the (California Environmental Quality Act) and deny the permit," Crellin said, adding that the environmental impacts would be especially severe given that there would only be 10 days between the end of the Northern Nights festival (July 19 to 21) and the beginning of his festival, and many people would likely camp illegally in the area in order to attend both festivals.

The producers of this year's event, Peter Huson and Andrew Borgalt of BLAP Productions, said they were not responsible for last year's event at the campground and were "dedicated to following the permit conditions," of which there were more than 40.

"We want to be able to do this again," Huson said, explaining that his group hired private security and would be working with local law enforcement to patrol the event. To make sure the environment was respected, he said staff would "roam" the river for campers and educate festivalgoers on where and how to shower, use the toilets and park their cars.

To be more respectful of Dowd and the other neighbors, Huson said the stage and speakers would be directed away from them, and a blocking sound wall would be built. To make sure the curfew wasn't violated again, Huson said the amplified music would stop at midnight, and attendees who still wanted to hear music would be given wireless headphones for a "Silent Disco."

Huson said his staff would also be looking for illegal campers after the event, but he believed the two festivals would have different audiences.

"Our demographic is vastly different than Reggae on the River," he said, describing his audience as young professionals in their 20s and 30s who would be returning to work the following Monday.

"I understand the neighbors' concerns, just the talking from 3,500 people is loud," said 3rd District Supervisor John Pinches. "But tourism is what we've evolved into. These events are turning into a major part of the Mendocino County economy."

"The only reason we're even considering approving this is based on the new players," said 2nd District Supervisor John McCowen, describing the property owner, Conrad Bowman, as having "close to zero credibility. Everyone should understand that this is the last chance to straighten up and fly right.'"

"I think the Cooks Valley Campground is the highest and best use for that area," said Pinches. "You just look at that campground and think, This is a great part of Mendocino County.'"

"A great place to do drugs," added Hamburg.

McCowen said having the events "back-to-back really does harm the river, and he hoped they would be scheduled further apart in the future. He and Hamburg voted for upholding the appeals, but they were denied 3-2.

When the board voted on the festival's permit, only Hamburg voted against it being granted.

Justine Frederiksen can be reached at udjjf@ukiahdj.com, on Twitter @JustFrederiksen or at 468-3521.